Anteaters Top Cougars, 9-6

Brandon Taylor went 3-5 with one RBI to lead the Cougars hitters in a losing cause. (Photo by Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)

Irvine, Calif.- Despite swinging hot bats Friday and out-hitting No. 19 UC Irvine, BYU dropped game two of a three game set with the Anteaters, 9-6.

The Cougars (1-1) were unable to take full advantage of 18 hits, and hold two early leads, dropped a close game to UCI (6-2). BYU left 12 runners on base in the contest.

There was more offense in game two of the three-game series with UCI. The Cougars jumped on the Anteaters early, starting the game with a Sean McNaughton single and Ryan Chambers' double. McNaughton scored on a wild pitch and Chambers scored on a Jeff Hiestand RBI groundout.

The game turned into a see-saw battle with the Cougars losing the lead in the bottom of the third only to gain it back with a three-run fourth inning capped by a Hiestand two-run single.

BYU's lead was short-lived. UCI scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth, regaining the lead 6-5 and it never looked back.

The Cougars added another run in the eighth inning on a RBI single by Brandon Taylor after McNaughton and Chambers led the inning off with back-to-back singles. The Cougars rally ended as Hiestand struck out and Apana Nakayama grounded out.

The three-game series concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. (PST). The Cougars will send junior college transfer Brandon Christiansen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound against lefty Glenn Swanson (1-0, 3.00).